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Please forgive me for not having updated at all yet this week. I have honestly just been running on fumes and barely able to stay awake during the course of the day – there was just no way for me to stay awake long enough to edit photos and write up recipes after a full day of work. What could possibly have taken such a toll on me, you might ask? Well, on Sunday night, Kramer and I hosted a small get together in our new apartment for the Oscars! It was a lot of fun, and together, Kramer and I made a ton of food, most of which will eventually be featured on this site, so I don’t want to give too much away! It was a big success, though, and I’m fairly certain that everyone in attendance had a good time. Kramer had a nicely stocked bar area set up, and we made fun party food like chorizo and bacon macaroni and cheese (a bit of a twist on one of my favorite recipes) and my famous Magnolia Bakery banana pudding (featured in a beautiful trifle dish that my Aunt Donna gave to me). You can see a bit of our new apartment in this adorable photo of my sister-in-law Rachel and her boyfriend, Eric, and most importantly, you can check out a quick view of my enormous (for Brooklyn) kitchen in this photo of Kramer and our friend, Tom. Just look at all of that counter space! Oooo ahhhh. You can also check it out in this photo of Kramer worrying about how we were going to get all of the food hot and ready in time for the party. We didn’t get much sleep that night, as you might imagine, and as I get older, it’s getting harder and harder to overcome fatigue. I don’t know how I went to class and then work on less than 5 hours of sleep only a few short years ago – I’m definitely finding out the hard way how quickly the human body ages. Oh well – to be young and living in New York City, right? I need to keep reminding myself of that when I feel like I am running out of steam.

This pesto was made for some delicious sandwiches (recipe to follow in a few days) that Kramer and I made for our party. I had never made pesto before, but when I saw the post over on 101 Cookbooks, it looked absolutely irresistible. The recipe stresses that this is exactly how an Italian grandmother would make pesto, and I believe it! All of the ingredients are painstakingly minced together by hand – there is no need for a food processor or a blender. You do, however, need a very sharp knife. I used my 7-inch Shun chef’s knife, but any very sharp knife will do. If you do not have a sharp knife, then this is the perfect excuse to go out and splurge on one – it will pay for itself over and over again as you effortlessly slice through anything on your chopping block, this pesto included. It took me about 25-30 minutes in total to make what amounted to about 1/2 cup of pesto (I doubled the recipe, although this is not reflected in the recipe below), but it was so worth it. I cannot adequately describe the wonder that is this pesto. I was never a huge fan of pesto until I made this one in particular. Because everything is done by hand, the flavors of the fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan can shine through. When you make pesto in a blender, the flavors can often become muddled as they are carelessly pureed together into an unrecognizable mush. Instead, in this pesto, all of the ingredients offer a different texture, all of which come together to dance on your tongue and brighten up whatever you decide to use it in. Not only did we put it on sandwiches, but we also used it as a bruschetta topping as we worked our way through our party leftovers. The flavors in this pesto only develop after 24 hours in the fridge, but it is unbelievably good on the same day that you make it, too. There is no added salt or pepper, just a bit of olive oil to bring it all together. I cannot recommend this pesto enough, and I promise once you try it, you’re going to want to make pesto every week.

You don’t need much in the way of ingredients, just some fresh basil, garlic, nice Parmesan, olive oil, and a handful or two of raw pine nuts.

Roughly chiffonade (thinly slice) a handful of basil. This is easily done by loosely rolling a bunch of basil leaves up like a scroll, then slicing.

Add the basil to the garlic and start chopping away with even pressure, to incorporate the two ingredients together.

Chiffonade another bunch of basil and start chopping away again, incorporating it into the other garlic and basil pile.

Once you have used up all of your basil, add in a handful of pine nuts.

Just keep on chopping. I like to chop, chop, chop, then push everything to the side together, and chop again, going the opposite direction that I was going before, until everything is evenly minced.

Now grab your Parmesan (I was having a party, so I bought a lot of Parmesan – enough for the recipe and for the chef to enjoy while working).

Add half of the Parmesan, continue to incorporate it into the pesto, then add the rest and mince away.

When you are finished, you should be able to pack it all up (without much effort) into a compressed ball.

Pour some olive oil over it in a small bowl and cover, if you like, or use right away. I found that the pesto kept very well, covered in olive oil, in the fridge in a small, air tight container for 4 days – I would even go as far as to say that it was better the next day. I also put it on some sandwiches that I made on one day and ate the next, and it was absolutely wonderful.

Whether you use this on some pasta, as a topping for bruschetta, or on a sandwich, this pesto is incredible and certainly better than something you would make in a food processor or a blender.

1 loosely packed cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (if you are looking to use pre-grated Parmesan, you might as well just buy your pesto because there is no point in making it yourself if you are not using fresh ingredients)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Peel and roughly mince all of your garlic. Starting with a small portion of your basil leaves, place one on top of the other, roll them up, and slice into thin strips (otherwise known as a chiffonade), then add it to the garlic and start to chop, incorporating the basil fully into the garlic. Grab some more leaves, chiffonade, and add them to the garlic and basil. Continue doing this until you run out of basil and the garlic and herbs are very well minced.

Sprinkle your pine nuts over the garlic and basil. I used a bit more pine nuts, but that's because I love them and it was hard for me not to eat the whole container of them while I was working. Start to mince some more, incorporating the pine nuts into the garlic and basil. Pine nuts are soft, like cashews, so they will be easy to chop.

When the pine nuts are incorporated, add in half of your Parmesan. Continue chopping, and when incorporated, add in the rest of the Parmesan and chop until everything is very, very, very finely minced. When you are done, you will be able to easily form the pesto into a "loaf" or a ball, as I did. After shaping the pesto, place it in a bowl or container and pour 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over it. The pesto can stay like this, in an air tight container, until you are ready to use it, for up to 4 days. You can also use it in pasta, as a spread for sandwiches, or as a bruschetta topping. It is delicious on almost anything, and doing it by hand instead of using a food processor allows for lots of great textures and flavors from all of the fresh ingredients.

@Vanilla: Thank you so much! I hadn’t even thought of pizza – I’m thinking of making it some time soon, and I think I will definitely do that.

@Michelle: Thank you! My last kitchen was a disaster – I didn’t even want people over to my apartment because I was so embarrassed of the place. I would definitely get a Shun – I love mine and the Japanese really know how to make a sturdy, sharp, and light knife. Henkel is good, too, but they are a bit heavier. I know that Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table have them on display, so you can go in and hold them to see how they fit in your hand. The people who work there are also very knowledgeable and helpful when it comes to buying knives. I bought mine online, but I went in to talk to them about what I should buy and it really made a difference!

@Emily: Thank you – I definitely appreciate the kitchen every single day. I also have a crappy food processor, so I avoid it at all costs!

That’s a great amount of kitchen space, especially for NYC! I know the perils of a manhattan kitchen. Mine is so narrow that my refrigerator door hit the other side of the kitchen when it’s fully open, haha. You definitely lucked out!

This pesto looks great. I like that it doesn’t require a food processor. Any tips on what type of knife to buy? I’m clueless when it comes to that sort of thing.

As someone who suffers the pains of tiny-apartment-kitchen (without the added benefit of living in the city), your kitchen is gigantic and beautiful to me!
And, I’m definitely going to have to try out this pesto recipe sometime soon. I’ve always wanted to make it, but my food processor is so junky I like to avoid it whenever possible.

Anthony: Thanks for the tip! They were pretty expensive – I paid $8 for 4 oz of them, although that’s enough to make this pesto another 4 times or so. I adore pistachios, though, so I think I’ll need to try that next!

Holy crap, your kitchen rocks! I am seriously, hard-core jealous. And the picture of Kramer contemplating everything almost made me laugh out loud. This is a really cool recipe, too, I might have to try it sometime and see if the pesto-crazed boyfriend notices a difference/has a preference when compared to our usual recipe.

WOW! What a beatiful apartment ! Looks like a fun time! Can not wait to see the up coming recipes! I’m always looking for new and fun party ideas. Love the Pesto recipe, I used to have a garden in my yard ,too much work for me , so now I only have a planter of herbs, so I’ll be making this when the basil is ready. Have a great weekend ,hope you get some much needed rest!

You can freeze leftover pesto very successfully. I make loads of it in the summer and freeze it in ice cube trays. Just pop a few out, thaw, add to pasta, and it’s summer all over again. That all depends, of course, on if you have any pesto left over! Yours looks fabulous. I am a sucker for the aroma a fresh pesto.

@Tina: Thank you very much! I am jealous of your planter – I would die for one! I’m afraid it would blow off of my tiny balcony and onto the street, though. Oh well, I can dream!

@Kim: I’m planning to make more this weekend and I will certainly do this – thanks for letting me know how well it works.

@Dee D: Thank you muchly!

@Ben: Thank you so much, and next time you’re in NY, let me know!

@John: Thank you! I’m absolutely going to toast my pine nuts next time, I bet it is delicious!

@Sarah: It’s actually red, but it oddly looks kind of pink in that photo. Strange!

@Jen: Thank you so much! Homemade focaccia is pretty impressive to me – I’ve certainly never made it before! I love James Franco, so he can do no wrong in my eyes, but I definitely see why people would say that.

Sydney, love the recipe. A suggestion: I’ve been making my own pesto for many years. Ingredients basically the same, but I toast my pine nuts very lightly. Rather than chopping, I make it with a mortar and pestle. Builds strong arms and yields a very silky texture. Primo cheese and fine olive oil are a must! And indeed, pine nuts have become VERY expensive, the local Safeway stores here in Northern Cali stopped carrying them for awhile because they went to over $25 a pound! (found them for much much less in of all places, the local Asian grocery, Market 99.)

Sydney, this is amazing! You always end up posting recipes I need. I’ve always wanted to make pesto but have been discouraged because I don’t own a food processor so this is perfect.

Also, I love that you had an Oscars party! I had one too but the food wasn’t as impressive, lol. I made chocolate cake and some pizza using homemade focaccia bread. How did you enjoy the show? I was a little disappointed with the hosting -especially since I love Anne and James- but I think it went okay. A little bit of a downgrade from Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin last year though.

Your kitchen looks awesome!! This pesto looks fantastic too. a few months ago my husband and I made a pesto very similar to this one, and it was delicious. But the next day we developed this terrible metallic taste! I think we got bad pine nuts!! This terrible metallic taste lasted more than a week and made anything we ate/drank taste awful. So we’ve started using walnut in our pesto recipes to avoid that again. I love the pistachio idea!

Yum. It’s always such a fitting introductory word to comments on this site! I love pesto almost more than I love marinara sauce (which is A LOT)! Pesto is such a wonderful example that you can get a delicious result from simple ingredients and not much work. (Which is how cooking should be!) Thanks for the recipe, adding it to my arsenal!

Ivana: Is he allergic to all nuts? Pistachios or chestnuts might work well, or macadamia nuts. I don’t know a lot about nut allergies, unfortunately. You could probably just omit them entirely, since there aren’t that many used.

Yum – that pesto looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it! We live on pesto during the summer. My basil has slowly taken over an entire bed as it grows back year after year – and I am happy to oblige it! I was working in my garden today (yea for Spring Break) and I noticed the first little bits of basil peeking through the soil. I am so looking forward to trying this recipe as soon as it is in full bloom. We had your sausage and peppers a few nights again – thanks for another winner!

So, I know this was about pesto, and believe me, I will put it to use! However, my fiance’s favorite foods are chorizo, mac n cheese, and bacon…it’s meant to be. His birthday is coming up and it would be awesome to make some for him for his bday dinner.

I went to the link for the bacon mac n cheese. For the version you mention here did you just add the chorizo? Any other special/needed instructions?

Talathia: I just added the chorizo in (since I used smoked chorizo, it was already cooked – you can also use ground chorizo and cook it along with the bacon in the beginning) and used a smokey cheddar cheese and a white cheddar cheese instead of French cheeses, since I wanted a more manly, meaty mac n’ cheese. Happy Birthday to your fiancee! He’s quite lucky to have a lady cooking such delicious food for him!

Is this the mysterious green stuff in my pasta at school?! Well yours looks much more appetizing than school’s, obviously. Now I’ve got to try it! I totally dig all the pictures too, it makes me feel like I could actually do it!

[…] wanted. If you don’t have a food processor, or would just prefer to go a more authentic route Crepes of Wrath posted a handmade pesto recipe. I have yet to try it, but one of these days I will! Probably once I start growing my own basil to […]

Hi Sydney! I just came from the grocery and bought ingredients to make this wonderful pesto recipe that I’m making for my boyfriend tonight. I hope the recipe is more than enough for the both of us! I bought fettuccine to go with it I loooove your blog! I hope you have more desserts that doesn’t require baking because obviously, I don’t own an oven! Haha

[…] eat it. Surprisingly, it didn’t suck and I was actually quite proud of myself. I used this exact recipe from a cooking blog called Crepes of Wrath that I really like. Usually, pesto is made in a food […]